Lily plant named ‘Tiny Nugget’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Tiny Nugget’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; upright flower buds; yellow orange-colored flowers with numerous greyed red-colored spots; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘TINY NUGGET’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lilyplant, commercially known as Asiatic Hybrid Lily, botanically known asLilium hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tiny Nugget’.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant is a product of a planned breedingprogram conducted by the Inventor in ‘t Zand, The Netherlands. Theobjective of the breeding program is to develop new compact pottedAsiatic Hybrid Lily plants with large attractive flowers and goodpostproduction longevity.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant originated from a cross-pollination in2003 of two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of Lilium hybrida,not patented. The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within theresultant progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in ‘t Zand, The Netherlands in 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant by bulb scalesin a controlled greenhouse environment in ‘t Zand, The Netherlands since2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Asiatic Hybrid Lilyplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironmental conditions such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tiny Nugget’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Tiny Nugget’ as a new and distinct AsiaticHybrid Lily plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Upright flower buds.    -   5. Yellow orange-colored flowers with numerous greyed        red-colored spots.    -   6. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants ofthe female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily are taller than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily and the female parent        selection differ in flower color as plants of the female parent        selection have yellow-colored flowers with few spots.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants ofthe male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily are more compact than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have shorter leaves        than plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily flower later than        plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants of theAsiatic Hybrid Lily ‘Tiny Sensation’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.17,617. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ from plants of‘Tiny Sensation’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily are taller than plants        of ‘Tiny Sensation’.    -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have shorter leaves        than plants of ‘Tiny Sensation’.    -   3. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily flower later than        plants of ‘Tiny Sensation’.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have larger        and more rounded tepals than flowers of plants of ‘Tiny        Sensation’.    -   5. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily and ‘Tiny Sensation’        differ in flower color as plants of ‘Tiny Sensation’ have yellow        and dark red bi-colored flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Tiny Nugget’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15-cm containersin a glass-covered greenhouse in ‘t Zand, The Netherlands and undercultural practices typically used in Asiatic Hybrid Lily commercialproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesaveraged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 15° C. and light levelsaveraged 6,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averagesfor typical flowering plants. Plants were 60 days old when thephotograph and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium hybrida ‘Tiny Nugget’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling            selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling            selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright plant habit; single erect            flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers; compact            and dense plant habit; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 45 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 18 cm.        -   Plant circumference.—About 56 cm.        -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.            Color: Close to 155D.        -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 7.5 mm. Internode length:            About 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to 138A.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile; about 86            leaves develop per plant. Length, upper leaves: About 9 cm.            Width, upper leaves: About 2 cm. Length, lower leaves: About            10 cm. Width, lower leaves: About 2 cm. Shape: Lanceolate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Acutely cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; leathery.            Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,            close to 139A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 137B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower shape and aspect.—Flowers umbellate and            funnel-shaped; when fully opened, flowers flatten and tepals            recurve towards the apex; flower buds face upright and            flowers face upright to outwardly.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit, large bulbs will            produce about seven to ten flowers per flowering stem.        -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant; sweet, pleasant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June and July in            The Netherlands; early flowering habit, plants can be            flowered year-round in the greenhouse and forced to bloom            about 60 days after planting bulbs.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Good postproduction longevity,            flowers last about 13 days on the plant; tepals not            persistent; gynoecium persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 cm.            Circumference: About 8 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Color: Close            to 154B and 9B; sutures, close to 154B and 9B.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 18 cm. Length (height): About 6            cm.        -   Perianth.—Quantity and arrangement: Six tepals per flower            arranged in two whorls; tepals imbricate. Tepal length,            inner tepals: About 9.5 cm. Tepal width, inner tepals: About            5.5 cm. Tepal length, outer tepals: About 10 cm. Tepal            width, outer tepals: About 4 cm. Tepal shape: Lanceolate.            Tepal apex: Acute. Tepal margin: Entire. Tepal texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Tepal color:            When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 14B;            numerous spots, close to 182A; color becoming closer to 162A            with development. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 10B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Angle:            About 45° to 70° from flowering stem. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 138A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Six.            Filament length: About 6.5 cm. Filament color: Close to 4C.            Anther length: About 2 cm. Anther color: Close to 164B.            Pollen color: Close to 168B. Pistils: Quantity per flower:            One. Style length: About 5.5 cm. Style color: Close to 4C.            Stigma diameter: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Lobed. Stigma            color: Close to 186A.        -   Fruits.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Color:            Close to 144D.        -   Seeds.—No viable seeds have been observed on plants of the            new Asiatic Hybrid Lily.-   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common    to Asiatic Hybrid Lilies has not been observed on plants of the new    Asiatic Hybrid Lily.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have    exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to    tolerate temperatures from about −2° C. to about 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lily plant named ‘Tiny Nugget’ asillustrated and described.